Because of the holidays over the next week, the Hudson Reporter newspapers will have special advertising and editorial deadlines.

For the Wednesday, Dec. 26 edition of the Bayonne Community News and the Thursday, Dec. 27 edition of the Midweek Reporter, the editorial deadline is 9 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 21. The classified and display advertising deadlines are 12 noon on Friday, Dec. 21.

The office will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 24 and 25. It will reopen Wednesday, Dec. 26.

For the Sunday, Dec. 30 edition of the Hudson Reporter “Year in Review” all-county edition, the classified deadline is 12 noon on Wednesday, Dec. 26 and the advertising deadline is 5 p.m.

For the Wednesday, Jan. 2 edition of the Bayonne Community News and the Thursday, Jan. 3 Midweek Reporter Friday, Dec. 28, the classified and display advertising deadline is 12 noon.

The office will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, and will reopen on Wednesday, Jan. 2.

For the Sunday, Jan. 6 edition of the Hudson Reporter “Year in Pictures,” the advertising deadline is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 2

If you have questions about these deadlines or any other issue, please call (201) 798-7800. Also check www.hudsonreporter.com.

Council takes moment of silence for lives lost in Newtown, Conn. Tragedy

The mayor and Town Council held a special moment of silence at the start of the Town Council meeting last week to remember the lives lost during the Newtown, Conn. tragedy where on Dec. 14 a gunman massacred 20 innocent children and six adults at an elementary school.

“Keep in mind the little children that lost their lives and all of those Christmases that will be shattered this year,” said Mayor Michael Gonnelli. “Just keep them in your prayers.”

Congressional leaders call for gun control

Congressional leaders, including Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-8th) and Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) both called for stricter gun control measures in the wake of last week’s tragedy in Newtown, Conn. Pascrell, co-chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, last week renewed his call for legislation to reinstate the ban on high capacity magazines and to require background checks for all firearm sales. Rep. Pascrell is an original cosponsor of H.R. 308, the Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act, which would reinstate the ban on large capacity ammunition feeding devices that existed from 1994 to 2004, and a cosponsor of H.R. 1781, the Fix Gun Checks Act, which would extend background check requirements to those who buy guns at gun shows and through private sales. This bill would also ensure that all those prohibited from owning guns are included in the background check database.

Rep. Pascrell also announced that the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus would be working on ways to strengthen the capabilities of our nation’s first responders to address gun violence.

Lautenberg (D-NJ) last week announced plans to reintroduce his high-capacity magazine ban legislation in January, at the beginning of the 113th Congress. In the 112th Congress, Lautenberg introduced the Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act in the Senate to prohibit the manufacture and sale of ammunition magazines that have a capacity of, or could be readily converted to accept, more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Lautenberg plans to reintroduce his legislation in 2013.

Jaslow gets probation, helped lead Dwek to Elwell

Dennis Jaslow, who helped get payoffs from purported developer Solomon Dwek to former Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell, last week was sentenced to two years of probation and a $5,000 fine by U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares – sparing him a prison term for his cooperation, according to news reports. Jaslow, 49, a North Bergen resident, and former county election officer, was granted a government request for leniency for his early cooperation. Jaslow had faced up to 18 months in prison under his plea deal.

Jaslow was among more than 40 public officials arrested in 2009 in a government sting operation called “Operation Bid Rig III.”

Jaslow pleaded guilty early on and admitted in federal court in 2009 that he agreed to give a $10,000 bribe to then-Mayor Elwell on behalf of Dwek, who was really an undercover FBI informant. He also admitted that he accepted a $5,000 cash bribe in exchange for helping Dwek gain access to public officials in Hudson County. Jaslow was later allowed to withdraw his plea to an extortion conspiracy count and plead guilty to the lesser offense of aiding and abetting the offer of cash and illegal campaign contributions to Elwell with the intent to influence and reward him.

Elwell met with Jaslow and Dwek, an FBI informant who posed as a real estate developer, in April 2009 in regard to building a hotel in Secaucus. Jaslow agreed to be the conduit to funnel money and contributions from Dwek to Elwell.

Elwell began serving his jail sentence of 2.5 years in Butner, N.C this summer. Elwell, 66, was sentenced April 12 in Federal Court to 30 months in prison. On July 6, 2911 a federal jury acquitted Elwell of conspiracy to commit extortion and attempted extortion, but convicted him on bribery, in connection with a government sting. Federal prosecutors claimed that Dwek gave Elwell $10,000 cash, allegedly through political operative Ronald Manzo, in order to get favoritism on development projects. Elwell had said he saw the money as a campaign contribution rather than a bribe. Dwek is serving a six-year term in Maryland.

Secaucus printing company shutting down

AFL Web Printing in Secaucus plans to lay off its remaining union members and close its Secaucus plant by mid-February after losing two accounts worth $10 million according to The Record.

According to the news report, a letter from AFL Web Printing’s vice president of operations, Raymond McCandless, to Local 1 of the Amalgamated Lithographers of America, a New York union that represents workers at the Secaucus plant, says that the company will lay off the employees by Dec. 21. About 50 union members, along with non-union workers remain at the plant.

The company is lead by Antoinette Franceschini, president and CEO, who took over November 2010. The chief financial officer is Jeffrey D. Patterson, who was appointed January 2011.

Public Interest Group calls on state to install temporary manager at Meadowlands Hospital

Public Interest Group NJ Appleseed has called on the NJ Department of Health (DOH) to place a ‘Temporary Manager’ at Meadowlands Hospital for alleged repeat violations of patient safety and financial reporting laws.

MHMC was sold to MHA LLC – a for-profit private investment firm – in December 2010. MHA purchased the hospital for $15 million from nonprofit owners Liberty HealthSystems, who run Jersey City Medical Center.

“We are asking that a temporary manager be given authority and responsibility for overseeing an in-depth audit; for implementing measures to improve the hospitals’ financial stability and to assure compliance with laws and regulations that will protect patients and proper financial practices,” said Renée Steinhagen, director of N.J. Appleseed, in a press statement.

“In addition, patient care policies and practices must be reviewed and the legal rights of employees and whistleblowers protected.”

The Health Professionals and Allied Employees, the state’s largest union of nurses and health care workers, supported the measure along with Senator Joseph Vitale (Middlesex) who both issued letters to the DOH. The union last September rallied members and called on the DOH to place a monitoring team at Meadowlands Hospital in Secaucus.

Last year the state investigated the hospital after ongoing union complaints. The state released a 25-page report listing procedural and policy-related deficiencies. MHMC issued a correction action plan to those address health violations.

MHMC was also under investigation by the state Department of Labor because a draft financial audit revealed that the hospital defaulted on a loan and overdrew a bank account by $1 million in 2011, despite posting a 10 percent profit and paying investors $8.4 million.

Library to host ex-fire chief at general meeting

The Friends of the Secaucus Public Library will hold a general membership meeting 7 p.m. at the library on Jan. 10. Guest speaker at the event will be long-time Secaucus Firefighter George Schoenrock, who has served multiple terms as chief of the Secaucus Fire Department. When the actual meeting date arrives, Schoenrock will have already passed the title of Fire Chief to fellow firefighter William Sallick. Schoenrock has planned a helpful program on how residents can improve fire safety conditions in their homes. The chief’s presentation will suggest fire safety tips that are common sense, but ones that people either overlook or take for granted. The meeting is not solely for card-carrying Friends of the Library members. All residents are invited to attend and learn how they can implement fire safety procedures.

A brief business meeting of the Friends of the Library will precede Schoenrock’s presentation.

For more information, call (201) 330-2083.

No garbage on Tuesday holidays

Councilman Gary Jeffas announced at the council meeting last week that there will be no garbage pick-up on Tuesday, Christmas Day or Tuesday, New Year’s Day. Those residents scheduled for Tuesday pick-up will have their garbage picked up on Wednesday.